Former South African opener Herschelle Gibbs isn’t having the best of times in Bangladesh. Gibbs is currently the head coach of Bangladesh Premier League franchise, Sylhet Thunder. However, Gibbs is not able to give his message clearly as most of the local players don’t understand English. The language barrier is palpable as Sylhet Thunder is struggling at the bottom of the points table with a solitary win from eight matches.
GIbbs also questioned the temperament of the players. The former Proteas opener said the players are listening to his commands but they are not able to sync with it as they don’t understand English. Consequently, it is frustrating for Gibbs as he is not able to convey his message.
It’s a frustrating thing.
“About local players, a lot of them don’t understand English. So, it’s difficult for me to make points all the time. It’s a frustrating thing. When I talk with them I can see that they are listening but they are not really syncing in,” Gibbs was quoted as saying in Dhaka Tribune.
“I think the understanding of the game needs to be improved. And another thing is, they are very temperamental. I mean it’s difficult for me to explain to them because they don’t understand it properly,” the veteran added.
Gibbs also gave an example of the same. He was not able to communicate with Rubel Mia who was making his BPL debut against Khulna Tigers at Mirpur. Mia was batting at 14 after facing 28 balls and could not understand Gibbs when he told him to get a move on in the time out.
“I will give you an example. The other day Rubel Mia was opening the batting and he was on 14 off 28 deliveries. I walked on to the field during time-out and I said to him, ‘What is happening, you got 14 off 28 balls?’ And in reply, he just shook his head! It’s not his fault solely but this is the reality,” he added.
Sylhet Thunder will need to win almost every match from here on to stay alive in the competition. The team led by Mossadek Hossain Saikat will play their next match against Cumilla Warriors at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on 2nd January.